Diverse Croatian cuisine is among tastiest in Europe

20.01.2020
Gastronomy and restaurants

Diverse Croatian cuisine is known to satisfy even the most demanding requests and tastes. Want to hear fun fact? There is a special group of tourists, namely from Nordic countries and Germany, that come to feast on Croatian food exclusively.

According to the expert report by Thrillist, Croatia ranks 7th for food and drinks out of 48 European countries. Here’s the short observation from the report:

“The mix of influences here — be they Italian, Mediterranean, French on the coasts, and Slavic in the interior of the country — helps set up a delicious mish-mash of foods.
They have fantastic olive oil, and the oysters in the small town of Ston are considered some of the best in the Adriatic.

Their Babic, Malvasia, Prosecco, and Vrbnicka Zlahtina wines used to be underrated, but are getting more international cred each year.

And, perhaps their most famous dish — roasted lamb “under the bell” — is worth the hype, considering the meat cooks from both sides (with a domed clay bell covered in hot charcoal on top, and a coal BBQ below) slowly in its own juices.”

Of course, these folks were at the coast, tasting everything from fish to seashells. Unfortunately, they left without giving themselves an opportunity to expand on their positive experience. Because the Mediterranean is only one type of Croatian food.

3 main types of diverse Croatian cuisine:

Mediterranean on the south, along the coastline
Milder, meat-based in central and northwest of the country
Spicy, meat-based in the eastern regions

The important thing to note is that every cook in Croatia — amateur and professional alike — have a tendency to cook on the open fire or hot coal. No matter where you are in Croatia, expect the smoke and irresistible aromas.

Mediterranean Croatian cuisine of the south

The quality of the dish depends on the quality of the ingredients. The quality of the ingredients depends on the quality of the habitat. And the Croatian Adriatic Sea is the clearest and cleanest sea in Europe.

Therefore, the seafood on your plate is one of the healthiest on the planet.

Did you know that the EU had to adjust their standards for the quality of the sea water after Croatia became a member state in 2013? The quality of the sea in the Croatian Adriatic was far above the top standard in EU at that time.

Along the coast and on over a thousand of islands, the seafood is the main ingridient of recipes and food preparation.

As you know, Mediterranean food is one of the healthiest diets. Hence, if you are looking to spend your holidays eating healthy and organic seafood, you just can’t miss. Every single apartment host and restaurant will make sure that you enjoy only the best from the sea.

The abundance and high demand guarantee the freshness of the ingredients!

Mild meat-based cuisine of the central and northwest Croatia

This is a very generalized disambiguation because, in continental Croatia, the differences are small. The only one is the tendency for either a milder or stronger, spicier food. The rest is virtually the same.

In central and northwest Croatia, meat and vegetables are the main ingredients in food preparation. The techniques are diverse. From cooking, grilling, and roasting on open fires to pan-frying and modern cuisine that combines fruits and vegetables in the same dish.

But the meals will generally be milder. In other words, don’t expect the cook to oversaturate the food with spices and salt. This also applies to smoked and dried delicacies such as sausages.

However, if you turn your attention to the east of the country, things will change in that area.

Spicy and strong meat-based Croatian cuisine of the east

In short, they cook tasty, not healthy. What that means is that you should prepare yourself for a greasy, strong, and sometimes, even utterly spicy dishes. Luckily, they are famous for the finest selection of the award-winning wines. And a good wine really helps to bring back the balance.

They are best known for Slavonian Kulen. It’s a spicy and strong smoked and dried delicacy, protected under EU regulations as the authentic product of the Slavonia and Baranja regions.

If you choose eco holidays on the Croatian east, make sure to bring something stretchy to wear. The weight is not on their list of worries when it comes to food, eating, and drinking. Heck, they caouldn’t care less about eating healthy. Bacon is the name of the game there.

So, what do you think? Will you go hungry on your holidays or will Croatian cuisine make you come back next year?

Don’t worry, you will not be alone. Thousands are rushing in for food experience alone. We are willing to bet that the same will happen in your case.

Have fun!

Your CTC Team, I.K.